PAPER HANDLING APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING ADJACENTLY POSITIONED PAPER SHEETS, TRANSPORTING AND DEPOSITING THE SHEETS, SPREAD-APART, IN A STORAGE UNIT

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE.To permit introduction of adjacently located sheet elements(20, 22), for example folded sheets (24), received from a foldingflap cylinder (2), with the fold line or spine leading and with thesheet elements spread apart, a guide belt (13) has laterallyprojecting fingers (12) which engage between the sheet elements(20, 22), the guide belt being positioned adjacent to andoperating at essentially the same speed as a pair of transportbelts (25, 26) between which the sheet elements are beingtransported. The fingers are inserted between the sheetelements as a sheet (24) is folded or two individual sheetelements are gripped by a folding flap or gripper cylinder (2),and remain between the sheet elements upon transport by thetransport belt system. At a delivery region, adjacent a storageunit, the guide belt is deflected over a roller, therebytwisting the fingers and spreading the sheet elements apartadjacent their trailing ends, by guiding the guide belt in apath different from the transport belt system. Preferably,the spread-apart sheet elements are transferred to an accordeonor zig-zag pocket structure, for example made of elastic sheetelements, which, to receive the spread-apart sheet elements, hasthe accordeon pockets spread, for example by a worm (50).